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Abstract:

The role of weekday lunches eaten by 136 7–8-year-old Scottish schoolchildren was investigated. Energy and nutrient intakes were estimated using the 7-day weighed inventory method and the nutritional contribution of school, packed and home lunches was expressed as a percentage of mean daily intakes. Comparisons were made between the average school lunch and Caroline Walker Trust guidelines and between school, packed and home lunches. Weekday lunches contributed around one-quarter to one-third of daily energy intakes, the greatest contribution to energy and nutrient intakes coming from packed lunches. The nutrient profile of school meals was poor in relation to Caroline Walker Trust guidelines and poor compared with the nutrient profile of school lunches reported by Nelson & Paul in 1983. Children taking school meals regularly had lower daily intakes of percentage energy from carbohydrate and higher intakes of percentage energy from fat. The results from this paper suggest that changes in school meals are required in order to provide a model upon which schoolchildren can base their eating patterns.